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Ex-mayor sees Jack-Suruj ‘bad blood’

By
Renuka Singh

Story Created:
May 7, 2013 at 9:01 PM ECT

Story Updated:
May 9, 2013 at 6:50 AM ECT

Former Chaguanas mayor, Natasha Navas, believes super minister Suruj Rambachan still holds “contempt” for former Chaguanas West Member of Parliament, Jack Warner, for his role in unseating him from office.

Navas replaced Rambachan in 2009 after he served for more than six years as the mayor of Chaguanas.

Warner was a vocal and public supporter of Navas and it was then speculated that Warner influenced two United National Congress (UNC) members to vote against Rambachan to oust him from office.

Rambachan is now Minister of Local Government, Works and Transport.

“I guess he (Rambachan) still has not healed. He did not take that lightly,” Navas said in a telephone interview yesterday.

“There are different angles to look at this situation between Warner and Rambachan, they fought back then, seemed to get back on good terms but now it seems that they have fallen out again,” she said.

In 2009, Warner dismissed concerns that at 30, Navas was too young or inexperienced to hold office. As the then MP for Chaguanas West, he supported Navas over Rambachan and called for an end to what he had then described as “guerilla warfare” that he alleged existed with Rambachan.

By August 2010, Navas was not elected as an alderman and did not return as Chaguanas mayor. Navas said since this “infighting between Warner and Rambachan” started, she has been keeping her distance from the party.

“In my experience, from what I saw from working with the both of them, I think Rambachan still holds contempt for Warner. I have not noticed any major fights between the two, but you only have to look at them and notice the body language to know that there is some bitterness there,” she said.

Navas said she has returned to a “quiet, private life” after her mayoral debut, but said she would not stay quiet for much longer.

“When the time comes, I will have to speak as well. I will make a statement in due course,” she said.